J Korean Soc Biol Psychiatry.
2004 Jun;11(1):14-25.
Recent Development on Future Antidepressants
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College off Medicine Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea. yongku@korea.ac.kr
Abstract
- The current understanding of the mechanisms of pharmacotherapy for depression is characterized by an emphasis on increasing synaptic availability of serotonin, noradrenaline, and possibly dopamine, while minimizing side effects. The acute effects of current available effective antidepressants include blocking selective serotonin or noradrenaline reuptake, alpha2 autoreceptors or monoamine oxidase. Although efficacious, current treatments often produce partial or limited symptomatic improvement rather than remission. While current pharmacotherapies target monoaminergic systems, distinct neurobiological underpinnings and other systems are likely involved in the pathogenesis of depression. Recently, several promising hypotheses of depression and antidepressant action have been formulated. These hypotheses are largely based on dsyregulation of neural plasticity, CREB, BDNF, corticotropin-releasing factor, glucocorticoid, hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis and cytokines. Based on these new theories and hypotheses of depression, a number of new and novel agents, including corticotropin-releasing factor antagonists, antiglucocorticoids, and substance P antagonists show a considerable promise for refining treatment options for depression. In this article, the current available pharmacotherapies, current understanding of neurobiology and pathogenesis of depression and new and promising directions in pharmacological research on depression will be discussed.
MeSH Terms
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Antidepressive Agents*
Autoreceptors
Axis, Cervical Vertebra
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
Cytokines
Depression
Dopamine
Drug Therapy
Monoamine Oxidase
Neurobiology
Neuropeptides
Norepinephrine
Plastics
Serotonin
Substance P
Antidepressive Agents
Autoreceptors
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
Cytokines
Dopamine
Monoamine Oxidase
Neuropeptides
Norepinephrine
Plastics
Serotonin
Substance P
